Christmas through non-Christian eyes

Christmas in the Christian faith is a day of commemoration and celebration of the birth of Christ. Many people go to church on Christmas Eve. Some exchange gifts at home. Their houses are full of Christmas decorations, a Christmas tree, blinking lamps, and religious songs. Others prefer to visit family and friends to have dinner. But what do people who are not Christians think about Christmas? Some students give their opinion.

Muslims
Most people in Iran are Muslims. But Kianoosh Mousavi has liked Christmas since she was a child, “I think it’s so nice and cosy.” Mousavi continues: “We have Christians in Iran because Armenians are Christians and they have lived in our country for about 300 years. Everybody knows Christmas in Iran and many of my friends would like to have it as a  festival.”

Mousavi will not forget to call her friends to wish them a merry Christmas. But, not every Muslim does that: “After all it depends on the person. If a family is really religious and strict Muslim, they may not have Christian friends or they don’t even think about Christmas.”

Sari Ritzkya Deviyani from Indonesia, also a Muslim, has relatives who live in the Netherlands. “My mother, my grandpa, my brother and sister are Christians. So they celebrate it like a big party.” She usually visits her grandmother’s house. After having dinner, they talk and chat until late.

Hindu
For Putu Ayu Anggraeni – a Hindu from Indonesia – Christmas is an ordinary day but there is a holiday to respect Christians. In her family, there are people of different religions. “So usually, we go to our relatives that are Christians to celebrate by having dinner at their house and congratulate them. They prepare some meals for us.”

published on Sax Magazine December 2008

http://www.sax.nu/Portals/5/docs/saxdecember2008.pdf